


Benumbed

by littlemissliar



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Amputation, Anxiety, Depression, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Jesse McCree is not an idiot 2k16, More tags to be added, Overwatch golden age, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Slow Burn, Temporary Character Death
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-09
Updated: 2018-05-17
Packaged: 2018-08-20 09:21:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8244224
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlemissliar/pseuds/littlemissliar
Summary: The lives Angela and Jesse lived before they joined Overwatch and the life they had together. Detailing the rise of Overwatch, the golden age, and the fall.





	1. Beginnings

**Author's Note:**

> I took some creative liberties with this work as the Overwatch timeline is super sketchy so if I am wrong forgive me. I made this fic to look upon McCree and Mercy's backstories and how they got along in Overwatch's golden age. I have also taken liberty to giving Angela's and Jesse's backstories, and your free to disagree with my head cannons but plz no flames.

Angela and Jesse sat side by side, their legs dangling over the edge of the highest building of the Overwatch headquarters. Between them was a crate of beers that Jesse had managed to smuggle in. Angela looked at the fading sunset, the orange and blue mixing brilliantly with the ocean waters she took a deep breath of air in with a smile on her face. Jesse was looking down at the people below them, a few agents looking up at them before shrugging to themselves, or every so often to be asked what they were doing. He looked over at Angela, taking slug of his beer. Jesse glanced down at her lips for a second before licking his own and taking another sip of his beer, looking back down at his feet.

“The sunset is always so beautiful here,” Angela sighed, “with the open air and the water,” she mumbled as the warm sun caressed her face. “But it makes me miss home. I used to watch the sunset with my mother and father. It was always so beautiful seeing the Swiss mountains in the evening light. We would all huddle together under one blanket outside to watch the stars.” 

Jesse was smoking cigarettes, despite Angela’s worried chimes at how bad they were for him. The smoke wafted through the air, and every so often Angela would wave the smoke away from her with a huff. But wouldn’t move away. Angela had a beer in hand that she was nursing, her legs swishing and her blonder hair waving in the wind. He smiled, nodding, “I’m much more a of a morning person but it’s not so bad. In my old gang we would always do our little covert ops missions in broad daylight,” he joked, taking a drag of his cigarette, “No suspects anyone to pull off a heist that stupid in the day.” 

Mercy looked at him oddly, her face in a kind of confused grimace. She watched McCree chuckle so she forced her own chuckle before she stopped and took a sip of her own drink, looking away from him. She felt the buzz in her head, and her vision was slightly blurred, the signs of intoxication. She looked down at her can, swishing it a couple of times and looking into it to see it as half empty. Or was it half full?

“When I was fifteen, I was a doctor. But I still had to wait until eighteen like everyone else to drink,” Angela laughed, sipping the beer before her mouth twisted the slightest bit. “I never had many friends when I was younger. I was always too busy studying,” she confessed, looking over at Jesse with an embarrassed flush across her cheeks. “I’ve actually, “ Angela paused, taking in a deep breath, “not had many friends to begin with.” Memories of sitting alone in her room flashed before her mind, before she heard Jesse speak and looked up at him. 

“What? And you made me thinking you were hitting the books in the morning and shaking that ass at the club,” McCree replied back with a broad smirk across his face, nudging her with his shoulder. He laughed as she flushed bright red and slapped him across the arm at him and tried to kick him, “Aw come on Angie, learn to lighten up will ya’?” 

“That was not nice a thing to say, McCree,” Angela mumbled, whipping her head around, and taking a swig of her beer.  
“Come on, Doc. Lighten up.”  
“I know how to lighten up. I am very fun,” Mercy grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest with a huff as she looked away from him.  
“I’m sure cleaning your filing cabinet is always a wild Friday night.”

Angela snorted, her face red as she laughed. Jesse heard her laugh and he felt bubbling laughter as well, feeling his chest ache as he heaved in breaths. Each time Angela snorted making him laugh harder until he felt like he couldn’t breathe. Angela rested her head on his shoulder, looping her arms around his own as tears rolled down their cheeks faces flushed. They were wearing the overwatches’ assigned casual clothes, which was loose black pants and a baggy black t-shirt. The wind gushed all around them, their hair flowing in the wind as they sat by each other. Angela’s fluffy blonde hair framing her face as she looked at him with shining blue eyes. 

Jesse looked at her, feeling his heart bound in his chest, as he felt his face go hotter. He felt like he could drown in those blue eyes. Angela tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, looking back at the sunset as she giggled. They sat in silence for few seconds, smiles still on their faces. Angela looked over at Jesse, seeing the wide grin on his face, his tanned skin, and then her eyes drifted to a scab above his ear, lining along his hairline.

“McCree, what’s it like in Blackwatch?” 

Silence filled the air, Angela looked away from Jesse and back at her feet. “We don’t have to talk about what happens on the missions, nothing like that. But it’s just, the injuries I see when you get back from them,” she paused for a moment. “I’m worried about you.” 

McCree looked down at the the ledge, and his feet stopped swinging the cigarette held between his teeth as he exhaled the smoke through his nose. His chest twisted, like he had just had the wind knocked out of him and his throat tightened. Jesse ran a hand through his brown hair, feeling the scab on his head, leaning back so he was on his lying down. He took one last drawl of his cigarette, taking it in his hand, and flicked it over the ledge . “There’s nothing to tell. We go on missions, we come back, and the Gabriel yells at me for not doing a report,” he shrugged. “Don’t worry yourself about me. I’m fine, I always am.” 

Angela touched his wrist, her face full of concern as she inched over to him with a small frown creasing her brow. “I hate seeing you hurt, you know?” She paused for a moment, wiping at her teary eye before she looked back at him. Jesse felt his heart thump in his chest as he looked at her shining, blue eyes that were full of tears. 

“You make me feel like I’m more than just me,” she confessed. 

Jesse leaned forward, wrapping a muscled arm around her small shoulders, “I sometimes wonder what makes you think I’m so special, Angie,” he joked with a smile on his face as he squeezed her. “Don’t worry. The kids of Overwatch have gotta stick together. I ain’t going nowhere,” he chuckled as he ruffled Angela’s fluffy blonde hair.

“I don’t wanna talk about Blackwatch. It’s not pretty, and I’m sure you don’t need to know how fucked up I am.” Jesse said, lying back down on his back as he put a new cigarette in his mouth and lit it. “Sometimes it’s better that some things go unsaid.” 

Mercy pushed locks of her blonde hair out of her eyes as she raised her eyebrows, “You really think that?” the hurt ringing in her voice.  
“Why not?” Jesse shrugged as he leaned forward to sit up with a soft grunt. “Sometimes it’s better things stay quiet and no one gets hurt. ”  
“Maybe it’ll be worth it, Jesse,” Angela mumbled, her voice soft as she looked into his eyes. Leaning closer to him as Mercy placed her hand over his, their face only inches apart as they looked into each other's eyes. “I meant what I said, Jesse.”

McCree pulled away and stood up, looking down at her with a blank expression. “And I meant what I said. It’s never worth it, Mercy.” He turned around to walk away, waving his hand, “I’ll see you at dinner then, yeah?” 

Mercy nodded, stumbling as she tried to stand up, “Yeah. I’ll see you there.” The crate of beers lay forgotten on the ledge. Angela stood up, running a hand through her hair before she put it up in a pony tail. Her face felt hot and her throat felt tight as she started to cry. Why did I say that? Stupid! She thought angrily to herself as she angrily wiped her eyes. 

She might as well as of just said she liked him. Angela felt like a love sick puppy. She was head of Overwatches’ medical unit, a renowned scientist and doctor. Mercy wasn’t a silly girl that had a crush on some boy. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she pressed her back against the wall, slowly sliding down as she sobbed. Bringing her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around her legs as she cried. Snout running down her nose and mixing with her tears as she wiped her eyes. Angela was a professional; she didn’t have time for things like this and yet. She paused for a moment, feeling the memory of Jesse’s touch on her skin, feeling it tingle, before she slammed the back of her head against the wall, sniffling.  
“Ouch.”

Twenty minutes had passed and Angela walked to the dining hall, food tray in hand as she looked at the sea of tables. The dining hall was big, equipped to have all of the Overwatch base in it. Mercy scanned tables for Jesse but instead she spotted Fareeha. She was sitting with her mother, and younger spotted Angela and waved at her, “Angela, sit with us!” Fareeha smiled, a gap in her smile of a missing front tooth. Angela smiled softly, over to the two and sitting down.

Angela picked at her casserole with her fork, sighing as she cut it open with her knife. Fareeha looked at Angela, her brown eyes scanning the teens face for a couple of seconds and then she said, “Angela, why have you been crying? Did something happen?” 

Ana looked at her daughter, “Fareeha, dear, it’s not polite to say something like that to someone,” she hissed, her brows furrowed as she scolded her daughter. She looked over at Angela, noticing her flushed expression, and raising an eyebrow. Then the older woman looked at at her almost untouched food. 

Angela shook her head, “No, of course I am captain. I just haven't been sleeping well is all,” she laughed nervously. “So busy with work and what not I haven't been sleeping well, ma’am.” 

“Angela, I may be your captain but I’m still here for you, dear. I was once seventeen too,” Ana stood up, a thoughtful expression on her face. “You may be a brilliant young girl but you are still a young girl,” she paused for a moment. “Maybe you're workload is too much for you?” Ana suggested, concern lacing her beautiful, sharp eyes. 

Angela quickly stood up from the table as well, meeting the captain’s brown eyes. “No-no, it’s not really. I’ve just been feeling a little down is all. But I’m okay,” Angela insisted to her captain, her cheeks flushed. Angela felt almost everyone’s eyes on her as they watched head of medicine get scolded like a child, and her stomach twisted unhappily. 

Ana seemed to have noticed her discomfort and shook her head with a tsk, “Alright Angela. I trust your judgement.” 

Mercy nodded, mumbling a thank you to her captain and waving bye to Fareeha. Angela sunk back down into her seat, sighing as she nibbled at her cold food. She felt someone poke her shoulder and looked over at who had poked her only to see it was Fareeha again. “I think you should tell someone how you feel because this is making you sad. Maybe you could tell cowboy. I’m sure he’ll help.” The twelve year old suggested, her voice soft as Fareeha looked at her.

“He’s kind of the source of my problem,” the teen sighed.  
“Yeah, he is Bad At Making Friends.” Fareeha nodded as she crossed her arms over her chest, sitting down next to Angela. The blonde cocked an eyebrow with a questioning look on her face before Fareeha looked up at Angela with raised eyebrows, “That’s what BAMF means, right?”  
Angela nodded, and Fareeha nodded as well, “I knew I was right. But enough about me being right, that’s old news. What about the cowboy?” 

Angela sighed. Look at her, she was taking advice on boys from a twelve year old. Then the seventeen year old looked back down at Fareeha who was patting her back as she looked up at her. Well, beggars couldn’t be choosers. “I think I like him and I don’t know what to do about it.” 

“Tell him you like him.” Fareeha replied back almost instantly with a blank expression on her face. Like it was too easy for her to solve Angela’s love life.  
“What if he doesn’t like me back?” Angela groaned, shoving away her food and placing her head against the table with a loud grown. Fareeha patted her on the back again.  
“No offense but, you're a doctor and he’s a cowboy. Think about who's the desperate one,” Fareeha shrugged. “Plus, you're way cooler than him, Angela” 

“ You think I’m cool?” Angela asked, her eyebrows raised. “But Jesse is more than that. He’s smart, funny, skilled in combat. He can hold his own with Gabriel Reyes, the original commander of Overwatch. Jesse’s is not an idiot, and he’s so...” Mercy paused as she felt her cheeks flush bright pink. She looked over at Fareeha who had a face pure boredom. 

The two heard Ana’s voice call out for her daughter and Fareeha stood up. “Well, you should go tell him, Angie. For your own sake. And,” Fareeha paused for a moment, her cheeks dusted pink, “I think you two could make each other really happy.” Before the twelve year old scurried off to join her mother, her white dress flowing as she brown haired bounced as Fareeha ran up to her mother. 

Angela stood up, walking back to her room after throwing away her food and taking just an apple instead. She sunk her teeth into it as she walked back to her room, thinking about the advice Fareeha had given her. 

Maybe she should just tell him? Angela knew she would regret it if she didn’t just tell him. But then he could reject her. With that thought she felt a twist in her throat as she swallowed some of her apple. Angela reached her door, just about to open it and crawl into bed with some paperwork. She felt a hand touch on shoulder, grasping it gently. Angela held back a squeak of surprise before she turned around and pegged the half eaten apple at them with all her might. 

The sound of the apple hitting something made her freeze up for a couple of seconds. She heard a low drawled out groan, “Son of a bitch. Jesus, Angie that's some fucking aim you got there,” Jesse groaned out, holding his left eye. 

“Oh my god, Jesse. Oh dear, I’m so sorry,” Angela gushed as she hurried over to him, looking at the slowly forming black eye. “I didn’t mean it, I swear. I just reacted.” Mercy was blushing so much, but in the dark lighting on the Overwatch base at night she hoped she hoped her couldn’t see. 

Jesse reached out, grazing her cheek with his knuckles, “It’s alright, Angie. Ya’ didn’t mean it.” He noted how hot her cheeks felt to the touch. Jesse moved closer to her, and touched her cheeks again, “You alright, doc? Do you have a fever?” 

In the darkness softly Angela spoke out, “I’m fine, don’t worry. I’m just a little embarrassed about hitting my best friend with an apple. You should lie down. I’m pretty sure I have a first aid kit in my room,” she ushered him into her room and turned on the lights. 

Angela’s room was, in one word, girly. Stuffed animals on her bed, quilts on the floor, and it smelt like strawberries. Jesse sat down on her bed, making sure he didn’t sit on any of the stuffed animals, looking around. He could see pictures on the walls of people he would assume are family, and with a couple of the Overwatch agents. 

McCree saw two photos and that side by side in frames. One was of a man and a woman with golden hair, and they both had blue eyes, and between them was Angela. She looked like she was thirteen, with her hair in a ponytail and pink coloured braces. The other framed photo was of just Angela and himself. They stood side by side, big grins on their faces with the beautiful blue waters of the Mediterranean sea in the background. 

Angela noticed him looking around and she huffed out, “It’s my room, and I’m not breaking any rules. I decorated a little bit.” Then she saw him looking at the framed photos, and smiled, “I remember that mission in the Mediterranean like it was yesterday.” 

Jesse smiled, “You burnt like a frog in a pan.”  
Angela smiled to herself as she searched about her room for a her first aid kit.  
“So does everyone have those or do you like bringing work home?” Jesse asked, sticking up an eyebrow as he watched her bend over to look in her closet, dodging the sock Angela threw at him. 

“I like being prepared in case something happens; you never know what could go wrong,” Angela said, before she almost crawled under her bed. He heard a ‘A-ha!’ and she dragged out a first aid kit and held it like it was the catch of the day. 

She cracked it open and started to treat the bruise, and looking at his eye to see if she had hurt it. “I am sorry, Jesse. But what were you doing anyways?” she asked as she gently put a cold pack on his eye. “You know you should always get an eight hour sleep to ensure maximum wellness,” she scolded him, waving her finger at him. 

“I wanted to talk to you about what I said to you earlier. I was,” Jesse paused for a moment, “Kind of a dick to you.”  
Angela’s gentle hands slowly pulled away and she sat down next to him and placed her hand on top of his own. “It’s alright, Jesse. I understand,” She quietly spoke and rested her head on his shoulder. “But I’m always here for you if you ever want to talk about it. You're my best friend.” she looked up at him, doing her best impression of his accent, “Us kids have gotta stick together.” 

“Yeah,” Jesse smiled. “I guess we do.”


	2. Chapter two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lol soz about being so lazy with updates lads.

Jesse went back to his room later in the night, bidding goodbye to Angela. He walked down the the empty corridors of the Overwatch base with a grin on his face, his cheeks still burning. Walking to his room, he spotted Gabriel standing in the corridor. He stood near an open window, his arms crossed over his chest as he watched the waves. The sea salt evening air to wafted into the base, the skin on Jesse’s neck rising from the cool breeze. His dark brown eyes flicked over to Jesse, raising an eyebrow “What are you doing up at this hour? Especially after coming out of Dr. Zeigler’s room.” 

Jesse’s face flushed bright pink as he spluttered out, “She hit me with an apple, sir.”   
Gabriel smiled, gently tsking and shaking his head. His eyes slowly drifting back to the ocean, his smile slowly fading. A pregnant pause. “Jesse, do you like being in Blackwatch?”

Jesse was quiet,he raised up an eyebrow at his commander. Gabriel’s normally stern and harsh gaze had been replaced by a calm and melancholy expression. It was the first time Jesse had seen the wrinkles along his face, lining his mouth and around his eyes. If it weren’t for the beanie that he wore; Jesse would bet that there were faint grey hairs sprouting from dark curly locks. A silence filled the room, like a balloon that had too much air in it. The deep set bags under his commander's eyes reminded Jesse of all the nights Gabriel had volunteered to take watch while the squad slept. 

Jesse ran his tongue along with teeth, “I don’t know what you mean, Reyes?”   
“Do you hate being Blackwatch?” Gabriel asked, turning his head away from the moonlight sky and onto Jesse, moving closer to him. The anger had returned into Gabriel’s eyes, his face twisted into a snarl, the anger Jesse knew.  
“Do you hate me? Do you hate doing Overwatches dirty work, and getting none of the credit you deserve,” Gabriel growled, taking a step closer to Jesse, his frame looming over his. “We could be heroes, Jesse. But were just a bunch of thugs that work for the great a mighty Jack Morrison.”  
Jesse realized that he had taken a step back without even knowing it. He looked down at the ground, feeling his stomach twist as he took another step back. He looked up at Reyes, smiling, “I wouldn’t know, Sir. I’ve never been a hero.” 

Jesse walked past Gabriel. Gabriel's eyes had widened before they became soft. Gentle like the first time they had spoken to one another. Soft in pity. He looked like he was about to say something to Jesse, opening his mouth before closing it. “Goodnight, Sir. I’ll be heading back to my room.” 

The memory of being in Angela’s room and smelling the sweet scent of strawberries seemed like a distant memory now to Jesse. He pushed back the thoughts of Blackwatch but they still crept into his mind as he moved fast and faster back to his room.

Being a hero, who was he kidding. Joining Overwatch didn’t make him a good person.   
All he was trying to do was dodge three lifetimes in maximum security in total isolation.   
He was a criminal. He was in Deadlock, and he profited off the omnic crisis. People died because of what Deadlock did in the war. People that did not need to die had were killed because of him. He was just a scumbag, he was a scumbag in Deadlock and he was a scumbag in Blackwatch as well. He just traded one gang for another. This one just had uniforms. 

Jesse felt his breathing became harder, he sucked in each breath of air like it was his last. Reaching his room his rapid and desperate breathing turned into dry heaving. Cold sweat ran down his back, his hands clammy. His head rang in pain as tears started to roll down his cheeks as he tried to breath. 

Just breath. 

He gradually slowed down his breathing, chest shaking as he sat down on his bedroom floor. Jesse wiped his teary eyes, sniffling, and wiping the snout off his face. The room was chillingly quiet and McCree was thankful for the silence. He reached into his pocket and pulling out a packet of smokes and the black lighter tucked away into the packet. He put one in his mouth, light it, and started to smoke it as quickly as he could. The smoke left his lips and he exhaled deeply.

He finished his first cigarette, stubbing it out on his floor and flicking the butt under his bed and light another one. He just sat in silence, smoking, stubbing out the cigarette and lighting a new one for what felt like hours. McCree’s eyes’ felt heavy, and his head was spinning as he yawned. He finished his last cigarette in the pack and exhaled his last drawl before he climbed into his bed. Once his head hit the pillow, he was out like a light. 

When he woke up, his alarm was ringing at a soothing ear ripping pitch. Jesse glared at the alarm clock before he shoved his face back into his pillow with a deep groan as the alarm kept blaring at him to get up. He lifted up his head and slapped his alarm clock as hard as he could. Jesse dragged himself out of bed, changing out of his dirty clothes before putting on new ones and throwing them on the floor. Upon leaving his room he was surprised by a head of blonde hair. 

Angela was standing outside his room, her hair not in it’s usual ponytail, and she looked at him like a deer in the headlights. He probably looked the same- well, without the ponytail. Jesse looked at her, and his face felt hot as he leaned against his doorway. 

“Didn’t expect to see you here, Doc,” he said to her.   
“Oh well-” she spluttered before she crossed her arms over her chest. “I felt that it was my duty as a doctor but also as your friend to see if you were recovering from you're incident with an apple last night.”   
“Here I thought an apple a day kept the doctor away but I guess with you Angie it only brings you closer,” Jesse winked at her with a grin.

Angela’s cheeks turned pink as she laughed, playing with a stray lock of her blonde hair. She was wearing hospital scrubs, like the one Jesse saw on TV shows. The Overwatch symbol was perfectly embroidered into the right breast pocket 

“Ah, children. I trust you two are both behaving,” Ana’s voice rang over the two of them as the Captain walked over to the two of them. She had a small smile on her face as Ana looked the two of them with a chuckle escaping her lips. Her eyes caught the bruise on Jesse’s face in an instant and she clicked her tongue when she looked at it. “Has Jack been making you do laps again? I swear that man as a very strange idea of tough love,” Ana shook her head. 

“Ah- No ma’am. I was involved in an apple incident last night,” Jesse smiled at the Captain with a kind of boyish charm. Angela broke into another grin, a soft giggle escaping her lips as folded her hands behind her back. Ana Amari, her intelligent eyes flicked between the two of them and she broke into a teasing smile, her hands on her hips. 

“Oh my. Have you children been behaving? I hope I don’t have to tell you to about the birds and the bees just yet,” Ana smiled, watching as the two teens smile fell. “Alright, alright, enough fun and games. Jesse, you are coming with me. Gabriel told me he thought you needed a few pointers from the best.” 

Jesse nodded, following Ana. Ana’s dark brown hair was tied into a bun, her heavy boots thumping against the steel floor as they walked outside the base and onto the shooting range. To his surprise, she picked up two sniper rifles and gently handed him one. He looked down and it and back up to her, “What gives?”   
“I think you need a break from that outdated piece of trash and pick up something that requires a little more skill,” she replied back, loading the gun in a matter of seconds and looking back at him, as if she was daring him to say something. Ana’s grin appeared once again, “I’m just kidding.” 

They lied on their stomachs, eyes burning onto the target ahead, his finger on the trigger. He squeezed, hearing the bang of the gun fire even through his ear muffs. He hit the side of the target for the fourth time. Jesse pulled off the earmuffs and he let out a sigh, “I’m not good shot, Ana. Can I go?” 

“I don’t think so. You're a brilliant shot. I think you just need a few pointers is all,” Ana tsked, adjusting his grip back onto the gun, and giving him a gentle pat on the back. Like in the way a parent does to their child when they push them back into a soccer game after their child had come running to them. “I need you to relax, Jesse. Just breath.” 

He took another deep breath in, exhaling through his nose. Staring through the scope, and squeezing the trigger. The target banged loudly, a new hole in the center. Jesse lifted up his head, staring at the target with a grin across his face. He looked over at Ana, smiling at her, “Did ya’ see that?” 

She smiled back at him, “What did I say? I’m never wrong, remember that, young man.” 

It went on like that for a while. Shooting with Ana, getting pointers from the best sniper in the world. But it ringed in his chest, not from having the attention of such a skilled marks woman. But from having Ana’s attention. Ana’s mother like attention. They stood up, Ana cracking her back.   
“Ah, I forgot how much it hurt getting back up,” she breathed.   
“Aw ,it’s okay old timer, how about I walk you back to the nursing home?” Jesse offered, extending his arm to her. 

Ana slapped him upside the head, a scowl on her face. They put away the guns, walking to lunch. Jesse realized he was several steps ahead of Ana and stopped walking to wait for her. Jesse realized Ana had grey hairs sprouting through her thick, long, brown hair. 

It seemed like such an odd concept. That the heroes of the omnic crisis, the light in the dark of the dark world torn up my war, aged as well. That they all bleed just like everyone else. Ana caught up to him, raising an eyebrow at him before shaking her head. “Always such a gentlemen,” she chuckled to herself, more to herself than anyone else. 

As they walked down the hall, the warm sun shining through the glass windows. They walked past a heated debate in Jack Morrison’s office. He could hear Gabriel and Jack banging heads, screaming at one another. It was usually like this now. Jesse had heard stories they used to be so close. Best friends. Maybe even something more than friendship between the two men. But that wasn't there anymore. All Jesse could see between the two was anger. White hot anger that would burn anyone that got too close. Gabriel walked out of Jack’s office, slamming the door as hard as he could. Jack followed him out, leaving the door open. 

They were both red in the face, Jack obviously more red than Gabriel. Jack had deep, dark, bags under his eyes, and his skin was a sickly pale colour. Like he hadn’t had a good meal in days. Gabriel didn’t look that better either. They still kept yelling at one another, oblivious or ignoring Jesse and Ana’s presence. 

Jesse couldn’t even register what they were yelling about. All he could think about was that how loudly they yelled at one another.   
He looked over at Ana. Her eyes were wide then they quickly became somber as she watched the two of them. Jesse could see her clenched fist, and sucking in a breathe of air before she moved between the two screaming men. 

“Alright! That is enough from the both of you,” Ana snapped, moving between the two of them, shoving her way between them. “By god, you two have the nerve to call yourselves grown men,” she growled at them, looking between them. They were still glaring at one another, jaws clenched tightly. Gabriel walked away, turning his back onto Ana and Jack. While Gabriel walked away from them, his eyes meet Jesse’s. 

Jesse saw dark anger in Gabriel's eyes. Years into the future, those eyes would haunt him. About what he could have said, what he could have done to help Gabriel. Jesse McCree met Gabriel Reyes eyes, his eyes held a dark purpose. Not like the eyes Jesse had met. Dark brown eyes, calculating, intelligent, willing to do anything. But not heartless. 

Not those heartless brown eyes that belonged to someone Jesse did not know.


	3. Chapter three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lol whoops. I'm sorry i didnt update for a while i was robbed and that she really messed me up mentally.

Mercy walked out of the lab, pulling off her gloves and throwing them into the bin behind her. She looked down at her hands, pale and clammy from sweating in the gloves, feeling her stomach lurch. Angela quickly darted to the sink and started to scrub her hands as hard as she could, even though the gloves made sure she had no blood on her hands. Physically at least. 

 

But she did. She scrubbed until her hands were raw and ached when  she touched them. 

 

Dear god, she had so much blood on her hands. They said that she was going to help save lives, to help people get better and make life easier. 

 

She was a doctor. 

Not a killer. 

 

All she had ever wanted to do was save lives ever since the omnic crisis. That  _ thing  _ inside that lab was not going to save lives. It was going to kill people. She rubbed her hands together,the pain pulsing, her stomach twisting unpleasantly as she thought about what it could do to flesh.  _ What it could do to organs.  _ She lurched over the sink, dry heaving and coughing. Her vision was blurry. 

 

She felt another wave of cramps pass over her, cringing while placing her hand over her pelvis. Angela sighed once again, sitting down as another wave of cramps passed. The door opened, a fellow doctor walking into her lab. 

 

“Sitting on the job I see,” she noted a loud to Angela, strolling in with several high ranking Overwatch officers and officials at her heels. All of them looking down at her. 

 

The doctor that had strolled in was Moira, a seasoned medical researcher, and Angela’s second. She was strongly against Angela taking on head of medicine at such a young age, saying she was inexperienced and that she would be too emotional at her age to be in such a high pressure, high stress position. But in the end the committee chose her over Moira, and Angela has the sinking suspicion she wasn’t over it. 

 

Angela quickly stood up, walking over to the group of them, her arms crossed over her chest as she looked at them all with a raised eyebrow, “What are you doing here? This is my lab, for my research,” she pointed out to Moira as she has lectured her on going into her lad unannounced.  “-And what are they doing here,” she asked, looking over at the officials wearing visitor passes.

 

This was one of the most secure places in the watch base, with hours upon hours of research poured into all for the sake of science. And they have just strolled in. Like her work, her dedication meant nothing to them. It probably didn’t. 

 

One of the officials stood out from the small group of visitors, wearing a three thousand dollar suit and gleaming, white teeth. His hair was dark brown, clean cut, and he stood wide shouldered. Angela could see the United states army pin shining proudly from his suit. “ _ W _ e are the people that are funding all the research projects in this facility. You should be more welcoming considering we are the ones that gave you the material and the funds to create you're ,” he paused for a moment, pursing his lips together. His lips were thin and chapped, and he clicked his fingers a few times before he spoke again. 

 

“Valhalla suit?” 

Angela took in a deep breath, feeling her stomach twist unhappily once again,    
“Valkyrie,” she mumbled quietly. 

 

If he had heard, he must have ignored it. He looked back onto the older doctor, “How is the research on the biotic rifle going?” 

 

Angela’s fist tightened as she spoke out against him, “The biotic’s are not to be used for a  _ rifle  _ for god's sake. It has not even been perfected yet, and it would be dangerous for it to be tested in a live combat scenario as the threat of lives lost would be too great for the experiment to be tested,” she looked at them,blue eyes scanning for their faces to say something. Anything. 

 

She had gotten a reaction but not the one that Angela had hoped. When Moira laughed at her. A deep chuckle rolling from her lips as she looked at the other officials in a manner of  _ see what I’m dealing with?  _ Moira smiled showing off too many teeth, as she strolled closer to Angela, looming over her with quiet self importance and ego. 

 

“I believe I’m the expert in this field, Dr. Zeigler. Why don’t you go work on you're silly little suit and let us have a look at the rifle,” she spoke to Angela, her tone friendly and calm but her eyes never left Angela’s. She was waiting for Angela to show her something, to show a reaction that Moira had gotten underneath she skin and that she had won. And inside Angela felt she had. 

 

While she loomed over her, Angela felt her face get hot as the officials and officers looked at her. Like she was merely in the way of their showcasing. She should have been the one giving the tour of the lab and not Moira. She was the head of medicine. But that didn't matter because right now, she stood there like an idiot as another wave of nausea rolled through her stomach. 

 

The air felt too hot, and her pony tail suddenly felt too tight and her scrubs felt sticky on her. She knew she was letting Moira win. She knew that as she stepped aside of the fellow scientist and officials, and walked calmly out of her lab. Angela, head of medical research, and arguably one of the smartest people in Overwatch, was running away from her lab with her tail between her legs. But the least she could go was walk calmly away from her lab. 

 

She excused herself out, she started to sniffle as she walked, feeling a lump in her throat as she started to sniffle even more. She walked into the bathrooms, and into a stall before locking the door and sitting down.

 

The women’s bathroom in the medical wing were a soft yellow, painted to ‘increase happiness’ 

 

And she started to cry, sobbing into her hands. She felt so stupid, why did she argue with them like that. God, they all thought she was an idiot now. She kept on crying, chest hurting and lungs sore. She heard the door open and tried to stifle her sniffles. 

 

Angela heard the sound of boots calmly walking across the floor, relaxed and confident. Like they owned the base. Angela watched the boots, before they stopped in front of the stall she had hide herself away in. And then the knock came, as strong as the owners walk. 

 

“Angela, is everything alright in there?” came out Commander Amari’s voice, her voice deep, and like honey. 

 

Angela’s voice sounded more like off milk, “Yeah, I’m alright.” 

 

“Come out right now, young lady.”    
  
Angela stood up, sliding on her pants, and opening the stall door. There she stood, like an unmoving tower in the face of everything. Like she would never dare flinch at Commander Morrisons and Reyes conflict for that was merely below her.  Angela had admired her for that. Not being fazed by the conflict of others and only focusing on herself, country, and Overwatch. She didn't just admire that she wanted that. She wanted her confidence 

and her power behind her words. 

 

Angela just felt small. 

 

And to the higher ups of Overwatch, higher than her authority as the head of medicine. 

 

Maybe she was. 

**Author's Note:**

> I will post the second chapter soon but only if I have time to because I'm in finals atm. But after that I'll have more time to work on my writing and to work on this story. Please leave a comment if you like this because it really helps :)


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